Gated shifts

[mik]

I love Manuel boxes.

I thought I might be swayed by Pete’s 600LT, but since I drove it in conditions where it couldn’t deploy full power without spinning up - even in 4th - any benefit of “immediate” shifts wasn’t apparent. Maybe next time.

Anyway - this post is dedicated to the gated shift. Much loved by Ferrari, but others like Lambo have joined in. I’ve only used one - in a 355 (was it a 360?) at a 6th-gear (I think) runway day thing.

Which very much left me nonplussed. What’s the appeal? If anything it slows things down.

WhatamImissing?

[duncs500]

Never used one, but evocative, Ferrari, nostalgic, shiny, wow, amaze, wow.

[duncs500]

I'll always remember when Richard Burns was on a Jeremy Clarkson video with Tim Harvey IIRC (I think they were trying to decide the best handling car), and they were driving a Ferrari 550. Burns was making noises like he'd creamed himself when snicking that gearbox about. In RB we trust.

Can't find the clip on YT.

[speedingfine]

Clicky-clacky noises ftw

[Jobbo]

It’s about 20 years since I drove a Diablo SV with a gated manual; I don’t particularly remember the gate being problematic. It doesn’t stick in the memory though.

I’m sure I’ve driven something with a metal plate like an open gate, but with much shorter prongs between the gates - just a wavy line effectively. All the clacking as you push the lever into gear, none of the awkward following slots.

[V8Granite]

I saw one in a Focus Ghia that someone had made, nearly convinced myself it was a Ferrari by the snicketyness.

Dave!

[RobYob]

Only gated shift I've driven was an R8 and it didn't do anything for me, felt obstructive if anything. Quite like the Lotus open mechanism though, tactilely snicky snicky goodness.

[Jobbo]

That’s it - it was in an Elise that I saw a more open version:

[PaulJ]

That’s it - it was in an Elise that I saw a more open version:

That's crazy extra weight to add to an Elise!